SYSTEMS, METHODS AND APPLICATIONS FOR USING AND ENHANCING VEHICLE TO VEHICLE COMMUNICATIONS, INCLUDING SYNERGIES AND INTEROPERATION WITH SATELLITE RADIO

• US 20170032402A1
• Filed: 04/14/2015
• Published: 02/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sirius XM Radio Inc. (Liberty Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sirius Satellite Radio (Liberty Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Hayes, Jeffery David, Smallcomb, Joseph Michael, Nguyen, Anh Xuan, Patsiokas, Stelios, Marko, Paul, Wadin, Craig, DeLuca, Joan, Cox, Stuart, Michalski, Richard Andrew, Rindsberg, Mark, Mantel, George David
• Granted Patent: US 10,354,265 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0266 based on the position of the vehicle

Abstract

Various applications, systems and methods for using, and enhancing V2V communications for various purposes are described. These systems and methods leverage various aspects of satellite radio broadcasts in combination with V2V communications. In some embodiments, V2V-enabled vehicles can receive advertisements or offers from RSEs, or even other V2V enabled vehicles, in a defined Target Region, which may then be played to a user in-vehicle once a given Trigger Region has been entered. By logging all advertisements or offers played to a user and sending the log to an RSE, for example, and from there to a content provider (e.g., an SDARS service operator), verified delivery of advertisements is achieved, which allows the content provider to obtain significant revenues from advertisers. In return for uploading the playback record from the vehicle to the RSE, a variety of incentives may be offered, such as (i) free or discounted satellite radio subscription; (ii) download credits for music or videos from an online store; (iii) reduced or free tolls on toll roads (e.g., RSE embedded in a toll collection plaza); (iv) premium audio or video content, (v) credit at an online store; and (vi) a special coupon code redeemable for merchandise.

Claims

1. A method for anonymously distributing coupons or advertisements to geographically targeted customers, comprising:

receiving in a vehicle an advertisement or offer over vehicle to vehicle communications within a defined target region; and

automatically playing the advertisement or offer to a user in the vehicle once a given Trigger Region has been entered.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertisement or offer is received from one of roadside equipment or another V2V enabled vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, further comprising logging all advertisements or offers played to a user and sending the log to roadside equipment.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving offers for a variety of incentives upon uploading In return for sending a playback record from the vehicle to the RSE.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said incentives include one or more of (i) free or discounted satellite radio subscription;

(ii) download credits for music or videos from an online store;

(iii) reduced or free tolls on toll roads;

(iv) premium audio or video content, (v) credit at an online store; and

(vi) a special coupon code redeemable for merchandise.

6. A method of communicating hazards to V2V equipped vehicles, comprising:

receiving a geotagged message in one of a satellite radio in a vehicle and roadside equipment over a satellite radio channel;

processing the geotag to determine if the message is relevant to the vehicle'"'"'s or RSE'"'"'s vicinity; and

if yes, retransmitting the message over V2V.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the message instructs all vehicles in a defined geographic region to tune to a specific radio channel, which may be either a satellite radio channel or a local AM or FM station.

8. A method of communicating hazards to V2V equipped vehicles, comprising:

using traffic and weather data from at least one of public and subscription-supported traffic sources to enhance the accuracy and reliability of V2V hazard communications.

9. A method of enhancing the accuracy of traffic messages by combining traffic and V2V received data, comprising:

augmenting traffic probe data reported over a non V2V path with information received over a V2V communications path.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising at least one of:

using predictive traffic models to amplify and extend the geographic range of V2V hazard alerts;

using collected V2V hazard alerts and statistical speed information to improve the accuracy of predictive models; and

using weather models to predict the path of moving hazards (such as snowstorms, wildfires, cold fronts, flood waters), using said predictions to extrapolate an appropriate warning message over V2V to different locations in advance of a vehicle encountering the hazardous condition first-hand.

11. A method of identifying a hazard condition, comprising:

capturing at least one of images and video segments from one or more cameras provided in a vehicle;

processing the images or video in real time to detect a hazard or related condition;

and

communicating the hazard or related condition to at least one of;

(i) other drivers over V2V communications, or

(ii) appropriate authorities.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the hazard is an erratically moving vehicle, and the at least one of images or video includes an image or video segment of the erratic driving.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the hazard is a known target, associated with a license plate.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the known target is communicated to the camera-enabled vehicle via one or more of:

an amber/silver alert, BOLO, or law enforcement request.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein once the target vehicle is identified, the identification is shared via V2V transmissions with surrounding vehicles with a request to continuously send update information until the identified vehicle'"'"'s location has been communicated to authorities.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the hazard is one of:

expired tags on a vehicle, animals or other items in a roadway, motorist headlight failure, motorist brake light failure, and weather conditions and intensity.

17. A method of contextualizing UBI monitoring data, comprising:

logging a driver activity event in a vehicle;

acquiring contextual data from V2V communications, said contextual data including other vehicles'"'"' velocities and positions at the time of the driver activity event; and

analyzing the driver activity event in light of the contextual data; and

determining, based on said analysis, the quality of the driver activity.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said quality of driver activity includes a risk score.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

(i) acquiring multiple additional driver activity events over time, and

for each said event,

(ii) acquiring contextual data from V2V communications, said contextual data including other vehicles'"'"' speeds and positions at the time of the driver activity event; and

(iii) analyzing the event in light of the contextual data;

(iv) determining statistical patterns for the driver as to various types of events; and

(v) using the statistical patterns to determine driver quality.

20. The method of either of claim 17 or 19, where the driver activity event is at least one of:

high lateral acceleration, hard barking, and excessive speed.

21. The method of either of claim 17 or 19, wherein the contextual data further includes roadway data obtained from V2I communications.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said roadway data includes one or more of signage, road conditions, speed limits, average speed of drivers, traffic conditions.

23. A system for contextualizing UBI monitoring data, comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory containing instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to;

log a plurality of driver activity events in a vehicle;

acquire contextual data from V2V communications, said contextual data including other vehicles'"'"' velocities and positions at the time of the driver activity event; and

send the contextual data and the log of driver events to a server for further processing.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the memory contains instructions, that, when executed, further cause the at least one processor to:

pre-process said contextual data and the log of driver activity events to facilitate further processing by the server.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said pre-processing includes at least one of matching or associating said contextual data from V2V communications with relevant events of the plurality of driver activity events in the log.

26. A method of determining the steering angle of a steering wheel in a vehicle, comprising:

integration of one or more cameras into an aftermarket V2V device, the cameras facing the interior of a vehicle and arranged to determine the steering angle of a steering wheel using pattern matching and optical techniques, and at least one of;

using self-adhesive temporary or permanent tape in a color which contrasts with the steering wheel to improve the accuracy of the steering wheel tracking;

using a blue-tooth connected sensor attached to the steering wheel to track steering wheel motions and communicate them to the aftermarket V2V device so as to enable the aftermarket V2V device to compute steering angle for a Basic Safety Message with greater accuracy than using visual tracking alone; and

using two or more unique passive RFID tags on the steering wheel to enable an RF sensor on the aftermarket V2V device to measure the steering wheel angle and rate of change of angle (steering rate).

27. A method of communicating channel preferences to vehicles, comprising:

collecting channel use and preference data in a V2V enabled infotainment system in a vehicle; and

anonymously broadcasting a list of “

favorite channels”

to other vehicles over at least one of V2V and V2I communications channels.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

including with the list of broadcast favorite channels a relative measure of time spent listening to each channel.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

including with the list of broadcast favorite channels an indication of the channel that is currently “

active”

.

30. A method of communicating channel preferences to vehicles, comprising:

receiving channel use and preference data from a plurality of vehicles over a V2V channel in a V2V enabled infotainment system in a vehicle;

storing said channel use and preference data; and

at least one of;

(i) time-tagging the reception of said channel use and preference data in order to accumulate time-based listening statistics, and

(ii) geo-tagging the reception of channel use and preference data in order to accumulate location-based listening statistics.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising, at least one of:

using received lists of favorite channels from other vehicles to determine the most popular channels in the area, or

using received lists of favorite channels from other vehicles to determine the most popular channels in the area by averaging the time spent listening to each channel.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising providing a “

what'"'"'s popular”

menu option, button or other means of a user seeing what channels are most popular among drivers.

33. The method of claim 30, further comprising providing a “

what'"'"'s popular”

menu option, button or other means of a user seeing what channels are most popular among drivers, and providing a “

what'"'"'s popular now”

option which restricts the list of popular channels presented to the user to those channels that are currently being listened to by vehicles.

34. The method of claim 30, further comprising providing a “

what'"'"'s popular”

menu option, button or other means of a user seeing what channels are most popular among drivers, and restricting the list of popular channels to lists received within some user-selectable or fixed radius from the vehicle'"'"'s current location.

35. The method of claim 30, further comprising enabling advertisers or ratings agencies to purchase the collected listening statistics for vehicles in exchange for paying for or subsidizing the tolls for vehicles passing through toll booths equipped with V2I communication and electronic toll payment capability.

36. The method of claim 30, further comprising using received lists of favorite channels to suggest other channels that the user may be interested in by comparing the received channel lists from other vehicles with the channel list of the listener.

37. The method of claim 30, further comprising using received lists of favorite channels to suggest other channels that the user may be interested in by comparing the received channel lists from other vehicles with the channel list of the listener, and where there is significant but not complete overlap between the lists, suggesting channels that do not overlap to the listener in a “

suggested channels”

list.

38. The method of claim 30, further comprising accumulating statistics from multiple received channels lists to detect patterns in received channel lists and refine the suggested channel list based on those detected patterns.

39. A method of integrating V2V communications capability with in-vehicle infotainment systems, comprising:

compiling currently active satellite radio channel or channels played in a vehicle; and

broadcasting the currently active satellite radio channel or channels to other V2V devices within range of the vehicle over a vehicle to vehicle communications channel.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising broadcasting at least one of (i) a list of missing transmission frame identifiers or indices relative to audio content received in the vehicle, (ii) missing audio content files or blocks of a file, and (iii) information relating to safety, incidents and hazards.

41. The method of claim 39, implemented with a V2V device in combination with a satellite radio receiver.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein:

the satellite radio receiver extracts as many channels as possible; and

selects channels based on what other nearby devices are currently listening to as determined by one or more active channel lists received over a V2V link.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein:

the satellite radio receiver buffers all of the channels that it extracts,

and wherein it transmits at least some of the buffered audio relating to a channel and master frame count upon receipt of an identity or index of a missing transmission frame (the MFC value) for one of the channels from a nearby V2V device.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the audio packets are one of encrypted or re-encrypted using a key available only to currently subscribed satellite radios authorized to receive a particular channel.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein the satellite radios store and buffer encrypted content as it was originally transmitted, and pass the encrypted content so that the target receiver would need to decrypt it.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein said decryption uses keys and other information available only to receivers that have valid subscriptions.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein an unsubscribed receiver, or receiver with a low-tier subscription, can extract and buffer channels which it was not authorized to receive and pass them to receivers that are authorized.

48. A system, comprising:

a satellite reception device; and

roadside equipment (RSE), the RSE communicably connected to the satellite reception device,

wherein, in operation, the satellite reception device receives data or messages, and

wherein the satellite reception device provides the data or messages to the RSE.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the data includes software updates to the RSE.

50. The method of claim 48, wherein the data or messages are used by the RSE to provide information to V2V devices during cellular network system failures or during conditions where a cellular network is overloaded.

51. The method of claim 48, wherein the data or messages are used by the RSE to provide information to V2V devices in remote locations where cellular infrastructure is not present.

52. The method of claim 48, wherein the data or messages are used by the RSE to distribute default states or settings to RSEs in a particular region.

53. The method of claim 48, wherein the data or messages are used by the RSE to transfer needed information from the RSE to vehicles via V2I.

54. The method of claim 53, further comprising receiving and transferring by the RSE of information back to road maintenance organizations through vehicles it has contacted through V2I.

55. The method of claim 53, further comprising receiving and transferring by the RSE of information back to road maintenance organizations through vehicles it has contacted through V2I in areas where the RSE has no transmit channel available.

56. The method of claim 48, further comprising receiving and transferring by the RSE of information home by piggybacking on a passing vehicle by V2I communications.

57. A method of generating a safety warning in a V2V-connected infotainment system, comprising:

automatically muting audio and/or producing a virtual siren to sound through the system in response to an alert communicated over a V2V network indicating an approaching emergency vehicle.

58. The method of claim 57, wherein a virtual siren is generated such that the stereo image of the siren indicates the direction of an oncoming emergency vehicle.

59. The method of claim 57, wherein the volume and volume velocity (rate of change of volume) of the virtual siren indicates the relative distance and closing velocity of the emergency vehicle.

60. The method of claim 57, wherein the virtual siren is only generated for vehicles in the path of the emergency vehicle.

61. The method of claim 57, wherein the vehicle audio system is automatically turned on when the emergency vehicle is approaching so that the virtual siren can be produced.

62. The method of claim 57, wherein at least one of:

(i) the pitch of the virtual siren mimics the Doppler produced by a real siren approaching or receding at the actual relative velocities of the V2V connected vehicle and emergency vehicle; and

(ii) the pitch of the virtual siren is artificially changed to produce an enhanced Doppler shift that is representative of a relative velocity that is higher than the actual relative velocity of the emergency vehicle as it approaches.

63. A method of warning a driver of a vehicle of an emergency or public safety vehicle approaching its vicinity, comprising:

receiving an alert message communicated over the V2V network indicating that another vehicle has initiated that alert;

processing the alert message to identify the location and relative direction of the initiating vehicle; and

using an in-vehicle infotainment system to produce a virtual audio alert sound within the vehicle, that is suggestive of a physical alert sound such as a siren, horn, railroad crossing alert, or police action announcement.

64. The method of claim 63, wherein the stereo and/or front/back image positioning of the audio alert within the receiving vehicle indicates the relative direction of the vehicle producing the alert.

65. The method of claim 63, wherein the volume and volume velocity (rate of change of volume) of the audio alert indicates the relative distance and/or closing velocity of the vehicle producing the alert.

66. The method of claim 63, wherein the alert is either sounded or not sounded by a receiving vehicle depending on whether the relative vehicle paths, positions, and/or traffic situations involved in the receiving vehicle, and wherein a vehicle producing an alert requires attention of the receiving vehicle'"'"'s driver.

67. The method of claim 63, wherein the receiving vehicle audio system is automatically turned on when the audio alert is received so the driver can hear any virtual audio alert to be generated.

68. The method of claim 63, wherein the pitch of the virtual alert mimics the Doppler effect produced by a real siren or horn approaching or receding at the actual relative velocities of the receiving vehicle and the vehicle producing the alert.

69. The method of claim 63, wherein the pitch of the virtual siren is artificially changed to produce an enhanced Doppler shift that is representative of a relative velocity that is higher than the actual relative velocity of the vehicle producing the alert as it approaches the receiving vehicle.

70. The method of claim 63, wherein the virtual audio alert is at least one of:

(i) a siren sound in a receiving vehicle corresponding to an alert generated by an emergency vehicle;

(ii) a train horn sound in a receiving vehicle corresponding to an alert generated by a train;

or

(iii) a car horn sound in a receiving vehicle corresponding to an alert generated by a car.

71. The method of claim 63, further comprising automatically muting audio and producing a virtual siren in response to an alert communicated over the V2V network indicating an approaching emergency vehicle along with location, heading, and velocity information.

72. The method of claim 63, wherein the alert is a virtual siren, and wherein the stereo image of the siren indicates the direction of an oncoming emergency vehicle relative to vehicle in which the virtual siren sound is being played.

73. The method of claim 63, wherein the alert is a virtual siren, and wherein the volume and volume velocity (rate of change of volume) of the virtual siren indicates the relative distance and closing velocity of the emergency vehicle relative to the vehicle in which the virtual siren sound is being played.

74. The method of claim 63, wherein the alert is a virtual siren, and wherein the presence of the virtual siren depends on the need for the vehicle to pull over or slow down such that vehicles that are not in the path of the emergency vehicle would not hear the virtual siren at all.

75. The method of claim 63, wherein the alert is a virtual siren, and wherein the vehicle audio system is automatically turned on when the emergency vehicle is approaching so that it can produce the virtual siren.

76. The method of claim 63, wherein the alert is a virtual siren, and wherein the pitch of the virtual siren mimics the Doppler produced by a real siren approaching or receding at the actual relative velocities of the V2V vehicle and emergency vehicle.

77. The method of claim 63, wherein the alert is a virtual siren, and wherein the pitch of the virtual siren is artificially changed to produce an enhanced Doppler shift that is representative of a relative velocity that is higher than the actual relative velocity of the emergency vehicle as it approaches.

78. A vehicular system for detecting hazards, comprising:

a vehicle, provided with;

V2V communications capability;

at least one processor;

a user interface;

on-board digital storage and processing capability;

at least one microphone;

a position and timing reference source;

and

a database of acoustic signatures,

wherein, in operation, the at least one processor;

monitors the output of the microphone or microphones,

compares the output with a database of acoustic signatures to determine if the output matches a known hazard with a defined threshold of confidence, and

in response to such a determination, sends a message reporting the acoustic event to at least one other vehicle over a V2V communication path.

79. The system of claim 78, wherein the known hazard is one of:

a gunshot, an explosion or a human scream.

80. The system of claim 79, further comprising, in operation, receiving and storing similar messages from at least one other vehicle.

81. The system of claim 80, wherein at least a similar message from each of two other vehicles is received, and further comprising, the processor:

computing the distances from the source of the acoustic event to each of the vehicles, and

determining the source location of the acoustic event.

82. The system of claim 81, wherein said determining the source location of the acoustic event includes computing the intersection of at least three spheres with appropriate radii with centers at the geographic coordinates where the sounds were detected.

83. The system of claim 78, wherein the message includes the following information:

a time stamp of when the acoustic event was detected by the vehicle;

a location of the vehicle corresponding to the time of the time stamp; and

an optional index or identifier to characterize the acoustic signature of the acoustic event.

84. The system of claim 81, further comprising displaying the location of the source of the acoustic event on the user interface and cautioning the driver to avoid that location.

85. The system of claim 81, further comprising retransmitting the set of all received messages to other vehicles and roadside equipment.

86. The system of claim 85, wherein said retransmission continues, including any subsequent messages received from other vehicles, for at least one of:

several miles beyond the immediate vicinity, and many minutes after the detected acoustic event.

87. A method of detecting hazards from a vehicle provided with a database of signatures stored in a memory, comprising:

monitoring the output of at least one of an acoustic and a visual sensor;

comparing the sensor output with a database of signatures to determine if the output matches a known hazard with a defined threshold of confidence, and

in response to such a determination, sending a message reporting the event to at least one other vehicle over a V2V communication path.

88. The method of claim 87, wherein the hazard is acoustically perceived, and one of a gunshot or explosion, or visually perceived.

89. The method of claim 87 or 88, further comprising receiving and storing similar messages from at least one other vehicle.

90. The method of claim 89, wherein at least a similar message from each of two other vehicles is received by the vehicle, and further comprising:

computing the distances from the source of the hazard to each of the vehicles, and

determining the source location of the hazard.

91. The method of claim 90, wherein said determining the source location of the hazard includes computing the intersection of at least three spheres with appropriate radii with centers at the geographic coordinates where the source of a signal acquired by the sensors that triggered the output were detected.

92. The method of claim 87, wherein the message includes the following information:

a time stamp of when the hazard event was detected by the vehicle;

a location of the vehicle corresponding to the time of a time stamp; and

an optional index or identifier to characterize at least one of an acoustic or a visual signature of the hazard event.

93. The method of claim 90, further comprising displaying the location of the source of the hazard event on the user interface and cautioning the driver to avoid that location.

94. The method of claim 89, further comprising retransmitting the set of all received messages to other vehicles and roadside equipment.

95. The method of claim 94, wherein said retransmission continues, including any subsequent messages received from other vehicles, for at least one of:

several miles beyond the immediate vicinity, and

many minutes after, the detected hazard event.